KEY TAKEAWAYS: City Council advanced legislation expanding oversight of the Sewerage Water Board. Council assumes budget and oversight authority over the utility beginning Aug. 1. Lawmakers approved requests for a legislative audit and review of administrative staffing. The governance ordinan ce is scheduled for a final City Council vote on Aug. 6.   The New Orleans City Council has advanced a package of measures aimed at overhauling oversight of the Sewerage Water Board of New Orleans, setting the stage for the council to assume budget and oversight authority over the utility beginning Aug. 1. The legislation was approved July 30 during a joint meeting of the council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee and Public Works, Sanitation, and Environment Committee. The proposals establish a regulatory framework for the council’s expanded role following changes authorized under state law. Among the actions approved were resolutions requesting a legislative audit of the Sewerage Water Board’s finances and a review of potential administrative personnel overlap within the agency. Representatives from Mayor Helena Moreno‘s administration also presented an update on the Public Utility Modernization Process Subgroup, or PUMPS, which is evaluating the utility’s long-term future. The ordinance establishing the governance framework, Calendar No. 35,521, is scheduled for a final vote at the City Council’s Aug. 6 meeting. Councilmember Aimee McCarron, chair of the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, said the legislation is intended to create a stronger governance structure for the utility. “Today, we are making history. Today, we are the first Council and Administration to take on the challenge of reforming the Sewerage and Water Board,” McCarron said. “This legislation creates the framework to create a better water utility for the people of New Orleans. It is what residents deserve and what has been missing for decades.” Councilmember Jason Hughes, chair of the Public Works, Sanitation, and Environment Committee, said the measures represent a significant step toward improving accountability at the utility. Council President JP Morrell said the council’s expanded authority allows the city to move beyond previous efforts focused primarily on transparency. “The days of simply asking for transparency are over,” Morrell said. “With the authority granted by state law, the City is now taking decisive action to confront the systemic, long-standing challenges at SWBNO and deliver the accountability residents deserve.” Council Vice President Matthew Willard said maintaining the status quo is no longer an option, while Councilmember Eugene Green emphasized the need for stronger oversight as the city addresses aging infrastructure and the operational demands of maintaining one of the nation’s most complex public utility systems. Green also said reforms should support utility employees while improving reliability, communication and public confidence. The Sewerage Water Board has faced years of scrutiny over infrastructure failures, financial management and customer service, prompting city and state leaders to pursue governance reforms aimed at increasing accountability and operational performance. If approved next week, the ordinance would formalize the City Council’s expanded oversight role as those reforms move forward. ...read more read less